Treadle-power



(No Model.) 2 sheets rshet 1.

J. B. KERR TREADLE POWER.

No. 269,294. Patented Dee,19, 1882;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. B. KERR.

TRBA-DLE POWER.

No. 269,294. Patented De c.1'9,'1882.

N. PEICRS, PboIo-Ulhognplmr. Wnhinglon. 0.1:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

JOHN B. KERR, OF AMADOE CITY, CALIFORNIA.

TREADLE-POWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,294, dated December Application filed-June 17, 18852.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN B. KERR, of Amador City, county of Amador, State of California, havein vented an Improved Treadle-Power; and I hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a new and useful treadle-power; and it consists in a suspend d vibrating treadle or treadles, in connection with means for transmitting the motion to a driving mechanism either directly or through the intervention of a rocking shaft, as will hereinafter fully appear.

The object of my invention is to provide a light-running treadle-power, simple in construction and economical.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective. Fig. 2. is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail. Fig. 4 is a perspective.

Let A represent a suitable frame, stand, or table, to the rear sides or legs of which, about midway between the top and the floor, is journaled in boxes I) a shaft, B. Upon this shaft are keyed or otherwise rigidly secured arms 0, projecting from the shaft in opposite directionsone above, the other below.

D D are bars or strips, the upper ends of which are firmly secured to spring-strips d d, which are themselves firmly secured to the under side of the top of the table. I have here shown the fastening effected by means of a strip, E, screwed under the table. In grooves or slots 0 in its ends the spring-strips d d are riveted. The lower ends of the bars D D are forked,as shown,andhavepivoted on them footrests F, of suitable shape and size. These are suspended above the floor, and by reason of the spring-connection of the bars D D may have a certain movement forth and back.

Upon the backs of barsD D are secured or rests F and reciprocating them the shaft Bis rocked in its journals, the spring-strips pro- (No model.)

viding for all necessary play, and still allowing a firm connection between the parts.

Keyed upon shaft B is an upwardly-extending arm, H, to the top of which is firmly secured a spring-strip, h, the other end of which is secured to the driving-rod or pitman l,journalcd upon a crank-pin of the driving-wheel J. The oscillating or rocking motion which the shaft B receives from the treadles is transmitted through the arm H and pitman I to produce a rotary motion of the wheel J, which said wheel may be suitably connected by belt or otherwise with the machinery to be driven.

I may dispense with the rocking shaft and connect the treadles to the driving mechanism directly. 'This I show in Fig. 4. Here the wheel J is upon a shaft, K, the end of which is provided with a crank, it. With this the connecting-rod G is joined. The treadle-bar D is suspended from the table in the same manner as before described, and supports a foot-rest, F, as shown.

The advantages derived from the various spring-connections are, first, a saving of lost motion, and, second, noiselessness. When the limit of the stroke of the treadles or arms is reached the resistance which the springs oppose serves to start and assist thereturn-stroke, and the entire device is thereby made to work easier than if the parts were merely pivoted. Not being pivoted, there is no noise from the movement upon journals. The firm connections allow its silent operation, while the springs themselves provide for the yield or play of the oscillating parts. However, I do not confine myself to these spring-strips, as a good result may be obtained by pivoting the parts directly to each other-namely, pivoting the treadle-bars D D to the table, the connecting-rods G G to the bars D D and to the arms 0, and the pitman I to the arm H.

If desirable, the two foot-rests F may be made in one of sufficient size to receive both feet, and this is perhaps the preferable construction for sewing-machines.

The horizontal reciprocatingmotion by which this device is operated is not as injurious as the vertical hinged movement of the ordinary sewing-machine treadle, and it may be worked with less power.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A suspended vibrating treadle bar or bars, D, having their upper ends fixed to table A, and provided with loot-rests F, as shown, in combination with a driving mechanism and connecting devices for transmitting power from said treadles to said driving mechanism, substantially as herein described.

2. The suspended vibrating treadlebars D D, with their foot-rests F F, the shaft B, journaled, as shown, with its oppositely-extending arms 0, and connecting rods or bars joining the treadle-bars with the said arms for transmitting the vibrating or reciprocating motion of the foot-rests to oscillate or rock the shaft, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination and arrangement of the suspended vibrating treadle-bars D D with foot-rests F F, rocking shaft B, with its arms 0 and H, driving-wheel J, with its pitman I, and connecting devices between the said arms and the treadle-bars and pitman I, substantially as herein described.

4. The vibrating treadle-bars D D, having foot-rests F F, and suspended from a frame or table, A, by means of spring-strips d d, firmly secured to the table and to said bars, and the rocking shaft B, with its oppositely-extending arms 0, connected with the treadle-bars by means of the rods G G and spring-strips ff 9 g, arranged as shown, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

5. The vibrating treadle-bars D D, having foot-rests F F, and suspended from a frame or 35 table, A, by means of spring-strips d d, firmly secured to the table and to said bars, the rocking shaft B, with its oppositely-extending arms 0, connected with the treadle-bars by means of the rods G G and spring-strips ffg g, and the driving-Wheel J, connected with the rocking shaft B by means of the arm H, pitman I, and intervening spring-strip it, all arranged and combined substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

JOHN B. KERR.

Witnesses:

G. W. KLING, J. S. HILL. 

